Slacklining at Broadway Street Fair

August 14th, 2016

You may not know the name of it, but there is a good chance you’ve witnessed it in your neighbourhood park or the university campus. Slacklining, the tightrope-like sport of walking on one or two inch wide webbing anchored on either end, has become a popular activity in Saskatoon and shows no sign of losing its popularity. Unlike the circus spectacle, the rope used in slacklining is pulled completely tight, resulting in the line creating a trampoline reflex.

Cody Millar and Mitchell, two of the city’s veteran slackliners, have been slacklining for over 12 years. What was one an isolated community of slackliners, Cody and Mitchell have captured the public’s interest in slacklining.

This past July, Broadway hosted Alternative Sports Day, a one day event that highlighted non main-stream sports such as parkour, bike polo, and slacklining. Cody and Mitchell were on sight throughout the day offering tutorials and demonstrations to children and seniors alike. Equipped with crash pads, event attendees enjoyed trying out the sport for the first time on beginners lines installed about foot of the ground.

Due to its popularity at Alternative Sports day, Cody and Mitchell will be bringing their lines to Broadway Street Fair on September 10th. As Broadway’s biggest event of the year, Cody and Mitchell were thrilled about the the opportunity to introduce slacklining to a larger audience and educate them about the cool sport of slacklining.

Cory says “I’m excited to bring slacklining to the street fair because its a great way to get exposure for the sport. A lot of people will see us in the park and wonder what it is we are doing but might not want to come up and talk to us. At the Street Fair, we get to make it into something that is more welcoming and easy for people to come up and ask about. Anyone can have a chance to try it out and we can be there to give them a hand. Not to mention, how cool is it to get to slackline on Broadway?… the answer is very!”

If you have yet to attempt walking the line, make sure to attend Broadway Street Fair this fall! The FREE event runs from 10 am – 5 pm on Broadway Avenue between 12th Street and 8th Street. Cody and Mitchell will have their lines set up in the grass at 5 corners throughout the day!